Building structure



June 13, 1933.

F. M. VENZIE 1,913,527

BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3% INVENTOR:

I fkzazmar/lil/vz/z ATTORNEY June '13, 1933. FQMVENZIE 1,913,527 BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 15, 1950 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 v /9 57 r 5 27 27 l /7 42 'INVENTOR:

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ATTORNEY Patented June i3, ieee FREDERICK M. VENZIE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA BUILDING STRUCTURE Application filed October 15, 1930. Serial No. 488,712.

This invention, stated in its broadest terms, relates to a building structure and has more especial relation to a novel torm oi ceiling construction embodying both so- 6 called plaster boards and so-called plaster blocks.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of parts whereby the services of but one workman or mechanic is required to suspend the ceiling members whether of so-called plaster boards or so-called plaster blocks, operating upon a scattold erected beneath channel irons forming part of the building structure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement and comhination of parts whereby either plaster boards or plaster blocks may be removably suspended from plastercrs channels instead of suspending the same from floor members or the floor itself, as is now commonly practiced.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement and combination of parts whereby the suspended plaster boa rds or blocks may be readily removed at desired intervals for replacement purposes, as for example where it is required for the inspecting or laying of pipes, electric wires and the like between the floor of a building and the tops of the plasterefis channels.

A sIill further object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of clip for ready attachment to a light beam section for retaining a plasterers channel.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of clip for ready attachment to a plasterers chan nel for supporting plaster boards in detachable engagement with respect to the plaslcrers channel.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of clip for coupling together adjacent plaster boards as suspendml from a plastcrers channel.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of clip provided with means whereby the same is readily adjustable with respect to nested channels in some instances and in other instances may be used in connection with asingle channel.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel'form of clip constructed of wire or metal provided with means whereby the same may be clinched with respect to the flange of a floor beam.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of metal clip construction whereby the ends of the clip may be clinched with respect to a main plasterers channel as supported by hangers from a concrete floor construction and in which said clips are constructed to support an auxiliary plasterers channel arranged at right angles with respect to the main plasterers channel.

Other and further objects of the present invention reside in the provision of general details of construction and in the arrangement, combination, and connection of parts for attaining the results sought by the foregoing objects.

The invention consists of the novel construction hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope-of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation, and partly in section, illustrating plaster boards in suspended position from the plasterers channels;

Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal section taken upon the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical cross-section taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical cross-section taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the Wire clips shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a slightly modified form of wire clip;

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of a novel form of stamped metal clip for suspending plaster boards from a plasterers channel;

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of a 190 stamped metal clip adjacent plaster boards as suspended from plasterers channels;

"Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of a modified form of stamped metal clip used in place of the wire clip shown in ig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the manner of supporting a main plasterers channel from a concrete floor and an auxiliary plasters channel for su port of plasterers channel for support 0 laster boards by means of a novel form 0 metal cli Fig. 11 is a view in cross-section taken upon the line 1111 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of a metal clip-as shown in the foregoing figures.

' For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings several forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which myinvention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

As at present practiced in the trade, it is customary to suspend plaster boards and plaster blocks direct from what are technically known as floor members going to make up the building structure. of suspension of plaster boards and plaster blocks the same are positioned prior to the laying of the floorupon the floor members, which is a very expensive procedure. For example, it frequently happens that after the plaster boards or plaster blocks are positioned with respect to said floor members it becomes necessary to take up and relay at least part of the floorvin order to gain access to the space between the floor and the not be used for any other pose. 55.

plaster boards or plaster blocks for certain purposes, as, for example, the laying of pipes or the stringing of electrical wires, and this requires the services of at least two mechanics or workmen and also the provision of a temporary scaflold, which canplasterers pur- According to the present invention I propose the adoption of the method'of suspendmg fire proofing plaster boards or plaster blocks not directly from the floor members but from plasterers channels, which in turn may be supported by the floor members or by the floor itself.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and referring first moreparticularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the. reference numeral 10 designates a floor which may be concrete or for coupling together By this method other suitable material and is shown as being supported upon conventional technically known floor members 11. According to the present invention I propose erecting a ceiling of either plaster boards or plaster blocks, below such floor, but instead of supporting said plaster boards or plaster blocks from the conventional floor members 11, as is commonly practiced, I propose sus ending my plaster boards or plaster blocl s from plasterers channels in a manner to present- .ly appear. At any desired height below the floor 1, I may therefore arrange plasterers channels 12. These plasterers channels 12 are supported from the lower portions of the floor members 11 by means of clips best seen in Fig. 5. Eachof these clips comprises a substantially U-shaped member of heavy wire bent to provide a pair of parallel vertically extended arms 13 connected at their lower portions by a loop 14. Theupper ends of the arms 13 are each bent horizontally to form upper loops 15 and lower fingers 16. The upper loops 15 and lower fingers 16 provide a clamping portion which may be forced over the lower flange of the fioor members 11, as clearly shown in Fig. I. The loops 15 and fingers 16, being of wire, can be readily forced over the flange of a floor member to firmly secure a clip'to place without the employment of other fastening mediums. These clips are attached upon opposite sides of a floor member 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that a plasterers channel 12 may be inserted between the arms 13 of the clips so as to be supported upon the loops 14 of the clips. In the connection it will be understood that the plasterers channels 12 are arranged at right angles with respect to the floor members 11. i

From an inspection of Fig. 5, it is to be noted that the fingers 16 are relatively long and with the wire clip positioned as just described those relatively long ends 16 are turned back over u on and clinch with respect to the lower auges of the floor members 11, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. In this position of parts the relatively long fingers 16 substantially parallel the upper loops 15. Practice dictates that these relatively long fingers 16 are essential to securely maintain the plasterers channels against dislodgment. A very good example of this requirement occurs in the case of fire in a building where it becomes necessary to turn a stream of water against the underside of the ceiling. Practice has demonstrated that with the type of wire clip, illustrated in my aforementioned and co-pending patent application, in which the lower fingers are relatively short, the pressure ofthe water against the underside of HOHl'dS to sag and otherwise become disaligned. From the plasterers channel 12 I support the plaster boards 17 and for this purpose I employ the novel form of clip best seen in Figs. 3 and 4. Each clip comprises a one. piece metal construction, preferably stamped, and consists of a generally inverted U-shaped men'lber the vertical arms 18 ot; which are connected at their upper portions by means of a cross-bar 19 so that when the clip is placed over a plasterers channel 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the crossbar 1S) rests upon the top of the plasterers channel. The cross-bar 19 has stamped out therefrom a lip 20 which may be bent from the position shown in Figs. 4 and 7 to the position shown in Fig. In some instances where a single plasterers channel 12 is employed, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, this lip 20 rests upon the top of the plasterers channel. However. in some instances it is necessary to employ two plasterer's channels 12, and in such case, as shown in Fig. 3, the flanges of the channels are overlapped, thus increasing the height thereof. In. such case the mechanic by a suitable implement, which may be a hammer, causes the lip 20 to assume a flat-wise position. This causes the metal clip to assume a position whereby the plaster boards 17 may be readily fitted with respect to the plaster board receiving fingers about to be described. The arms 18 have stamped out therefrom, mid-way of their height, 0ppositely disposed fingers 21. The arms 18 at their lower ends have bent outwardly therefrom oppositely disposed fingers 22. The fingers 21 and 22 affordplastcr board receivingspaces, it being understood that said fingers are arranged in parallelism and are arranged at right angles with respect to the arms18. WVith the clips just described mounted upon the single plasterers channel, or combined channels, as the case may be, the plaster boards 17 are fitted with respect to the fingers 21 and 22 of the metal clips end to end, as shown in Fig. 1. VVith' the plaster board 17 thus arranged, adjacent plaster boards may be coupled together by means of a clip, best seen in Fig. 8. Each clip comprises a one piece metal structure having a vertically disposed plate 23 having bent outwardly therefrom a pair of fingers 24 extended at right angles with respect to the'plate 23. The plate 23 also has bent out therefrom in the same plane with the fingers .24 other fingers 25 which are substantially U-shaped considered in plan. The fingers 24 and 25 engage the adjacent edges of the plaster boards .17. as is clearly illustrated in Fig.2. The purpose of the last described clips is that of reventing sagging of adjacent plaster cards.

A description will now be given of the manner of a single workman erecting plaster boards 17 in accordance with the invention. The single workman upon a scatlold arranged beneath the floor members 11 takes the clips shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings and causes the parts 15 and 16 thereof to engage over the flanges of the respective floor mem bers 11 and then passes through the said clips the plasterer's channels 12. He thereafter suspends from the plastere1"s channels the clips shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 7, and then causes the ends of the plaster boards 17 to engage with the 'arious described fingers of the cli shown-in said figures. At the same time t is clips shown in Fig. 8 are applied with respect to the plaster boards 17. This positioning of the plaster boards may be readily accomplished in a few moments time, and it is to be noted that should it be desired for any reason to disconnect a plaster boardfrom the above described clips, the same can be readily done, thereby to gain access to the space below the floor slabs 10.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 6 of the drawings, a slightly modified form of wire clip is illustrated which is bent from a single piece of wire and comprises a U-shaped portion 30 to accommodate a plasterers channel in the same fashion as the wire clip shown in Fm. 5. ()ne of the arms of this U-shaped portion 30 1s bent horlzont-ally to form a pan of parallel extensions 31, one of which extensions is then bent first downwardly and then 1n parallelism with the parts 31 to provide an elongated extension 32. In practice this extension 82 is bent upwardly over and clinched witl'i respect to the lower flange of a floor beam in the same fashion as the extensions 16 of the clip shown in Fig. 5. In some instances it is desirable to have this form of clip with a single extension in preference to a. pair of elongated extensions, as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 9, there is disclosed a clip stamped from a single piece of thin metal, the function of which clip is similar to that of the wire clip shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The clip comprises a. flat plate 33 having a strengthening rib 34 at its bottom and terminating at its top in oppositely disposed, parallel fingers 35 to provide means whereby the clip may be caused to engage over the lower flange of a floor beam 11 in much the same fashion as described with respect to the wire clips shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The plate 33 has stamped out therefrom a tongue 36 to provide an opening through which may be introduced a plasterefs channel 12. With such channel in position the tongue 36 of the clip may be clinched over the floor beam flange to secure.

ly hold the clip against dislodgment. This provides a structure which is equivalent to the wire clip structure previously described and may be more readily and cheaply manufactured.

It sometimes happens that it is necessary to intersperse between adjacent floor beams as above described lasterers channels, as shown in Fig. 10, w ich for the purpose of description will be termed main plasterers channels.and are designated by the reference numeral 37. This main plasterers channels are supported from the concrete floor by means of hangers 38 which are embedded at their upper ends in the floor and have bolted thereto as at 39 at their lower ends the main plasterers channels 37. In order to support the plaster boards in the formation of a ceiling, use is made of an auxiliary plasterers channel 40 which is of lighter construction than the previously mentioned plasterers channel 37. The auxiliary channels are arranged at right angles with respect to the channels 37,- as clearly shown in Fig. ll. These auxiliary channels 40 are suspended from the channels 37 by means of the novel form of metal clip best seen in Fig. 12. This clip is formed of sheet inetal and stamped from a single blank and comprises parallel, vertically disposed arms 41 connected at their bottoms by a cross-piece 42, thereby to provide a substantially U- shaped space to receive the channel 40. The upper ends of the arms 41 are bent over at right angles thereto and terminate in elongated extensions 44, the purpose of which is that of securely holding in position theclip with respect to the channel 37 when the extensions 44 are clinched over the upper flange of the channel 37, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. In this position the auxiliary channels 40 pass between adjacent arms 41 of the clip, as shown in Fig. 12, and rest upon the cross piece 42 of the clip. The plaster boards 17 are attached with respect to the above-men- 40, as shown in Fig.

tioned channels 37 and 40 by means, for example, of the clips drawings, it being understod that the clips are positioned upon the auxiliary channels 10, with the fingers 21 and 22 thereof receiving the ends of the plaster boards. In the connection it may be noted that since the part 42 connecting the arms 41 of the clip is flat, the plaster boards may be caused to form a close fit with respect to the clips, although in practice a slight indentation of the upper surface of a plaster board may occur in its abutting relation with a clip.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive,

reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

shown in Fig. 7 of the 7 What I claim is:

1. In a ceiling construction of the character stated, flanged floor members, a floor supported by said floor members, plasterers channels suspended from said floor members at right angles therto, a plurality of spaced clips arranged at their upper portions to engage over the lower flanges of said floor members and arranged at their lower portions for the endwise passage therethrough of said plasterers channels, ceiling members of fire proofing material detachably suspended from said plasterers channels, and means for detachably interlocking said ceiling members with respect to one another.

2. In a ceiling construction of the character stated, flanged floor members, a floor supported by said floor members, plasterers channels suspended from said floor mom bers at right angles thereto, a plurality of 8 oppositely disposed, spaced clips arranged at their upper portions to engage over the lower flanges of said floor members and ar- .ranged at their lower portions for the end wise passage therethrough of said plasterers channels, ceiling members of fire proofing material detachably suspended from said plasterers channels, and means for detachably interlocking said ceiling members with respect to one another.

3. In a ceiling construction of the character stated, a flanged floor beam, a floor supported by said floor beam, clips suspended from the opposite sides of the flange at the beam bottom, having wedging relation with said flange, a plasterers channel passing endwise through and supported in said clips at right angles to said beam, a plurality of ceiling members of fire'proofing material suspended from said plasterers channel, and means including a metal clip stamped from a single blank for detachably securing together said ceiling members in a horizontal plane, and means operatively connected between said ceiling member and said plasterers channel for removably securing said ceiling member to said plasterers channel.

4. A construction as described in claim 3 characterized by said plurality of ceiling 11 members being detachably secured together in va. horizontal plane by means of metal clips stamped from a single blank.

5. A construction as described in claim 3 characterized by said plurality of ceiling members being detachably secured together in a horizontal plane both. longitudinally and laterally considered by means of metal clips stamped from a single blank.

6. A construction as described in claim 3.

characterized by' the plaster board supporting clip being apertured for the passage therethrough of at least one plasterers channel and having stamped therefrom a tongue capable of being bent over to abut upon the the upper parts of said clips 100 tops of plasterers channels when parallel overlapped channels are employed.

7 A construction as described in claim 3, characterized by said plaster board supporting clip being provided with means for regulating the suspension point of said clip with respect to the top of the plasterers channel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

FREDERIOK M. VENZIE; 

